Union Ministry of Environment has submitted three nominations from India for Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
- These cities are; Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) & Udaipur (Rajasthan).
- These are the first three Indian cities for which nominations have been submitted for WCA.
- Sirpur Wetland (Ramsar site in Indore), Yashwant Sagar (Ramsar site closer to Indore), Bhoj Wetland (Ramsar Site in Bhopal), and several Wetlands (Lakes) in and around Udaipur are lifelines to these cities.
- Udaipur is surrounded by five major wetlands, namely, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai.
Wetland City Accreditation (WCA)
- This is a voluntary scheme which provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural or human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts.
- The Ramsar Convention during COP12 held in the year 2015 approved a voluntary Wetland City Accreditation system.
- WCA recognizes the importance of wetlands in urban and peri-urban environments and to take appropriate measures to conserve and protect these wetlands.
- The Wetland City Accreditation scheme aims to further promote the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
- To be formally accredited, a candidate for the Wetland City Accreditation should satisfy the standards used to implement each of the six international criteria mentioned Operational Guidance for WCA of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
- The ongoing Amrit Dharohar initiative of the Environment Ministry also aims to achieve similar goals by promoting unique conservation values of Ramsar Sites.
